Blood Doping

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A new study funded by the USTA is designed to determine whether the naturally occurring mineral cobalt, when administered in larger, regular doses, has blood-doping qualities and could enhance performance.

The Association of Racing Commissioners International board of directors April 23 approved a testing threshold level and penalties for the mineral cobalt, a naturally occurring substance in racehorses.

The New York State Gaming Commission Sept. 4 said it will issue a standard 10-year suspension to anyone who violates the harness racing rule prohibiting the use of substances that abnormally oxygenate a horse's blood.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, operating on a tight schedule, approved a regulation Sept. 7 governing out-of-competition equine drug testing with plans to have it in place in advance of the Nov. 5-6 Breeders' Cup.

By Joe Gorajec - If a drug existed that enhanced performance yet was undetectable by traditional testing methods would it pose a clear and present danger to the integrity of our sport? Would some trainers succumb to the lure of success and easy money knowing they could cheat with impunity?
The answers seem obvious.

Kentucky has performed random testing for blood-doping antibodies in racehorses of all breeds for more than a year, but now it's testing for the actual proteins, a process that could put more teeth in penalties.

A Pennsylvania laboratory is the first to employ a definitive test for erythropoietin--the blood-doping agent commonly known as EPO--and the test resulted in the suspension and fining of a trainer of Standardbreds in Ontario, Canada.

The Kentucky Equine Drug Research Council is devising a sweeping plan for security in barn areas at the state's racetracks, but it appears funding for an increase in manpower could be the major impediment.

Industry officials, during a preliminary meeting Dec. 2 at Philadelphia Park, discussed testing for erythropoietin antibodies that could be implemented in Pennsylvania and perhaps a few other Mid-Atlantic states in 2004.

The racing commissions that govern Thoroughbred and Standardbred racing in Delaware have been testing for erythropoietin antibodies since June 1, and in the future may implement rules to penalize horses that test positive.

The board of directors of the Association of Racing Commissioners International will consider adoption of a policy that would make treatments such as hypoxic therapy prohibited practices until their impact on horses is scientifically demonstrated.

Officials said the classification of erythropoeitin -- the blood-doping agent commonly known as EPO -- as a prohibited practice has curbed its use in some jurisdictions but a definitive test for the substance is a must if any regulation is to have teeth.

The Kentucky Racing Commission has decided to form a committee to explore the testing of horses on days they're not scheduled to race. The decision stems from an earlier classification of erythropoeitin and the process of blood-doping as a prohibited practice.

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association, quite active on the racehorse medication front for the past few years, is advocating a plan to implement "super tests" for all graded stakes in the United States.